Description

Own 50 Of Hollywood’s Greatest Horror Movie Classics On DVD For Just 60 Cents Each!A complete library of classic films captured forever on DVD and yours for what you’d expect to pay for just two or three movies! Get an instant library of some of the greatest horror classics ever to come out of Hollywood on twelve double-sided DVDs. From legendary silent classics such as Phantom of the Opera, Nosferatu and Metropolis, to cult favorites like Night of the Living Dead and House on Haunted Hill, the Horror Classics 50 MoviePack has something for everyone. Never has such a comprehensive collection of great classic horror films been assembled in one exciting package, all for an amazingly low price!

Creature Features
Descend to the depths and encounter the Phantom from 10,000 Leagues. Marvel at the primitive special effects in Giant Gila Monster. Rediscover the unlikely terror of The Killer Shrews. Hold your breath to see who will survive the Attack of the Giant Leeches.

Really Mad Madmen
Descend into insanity in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dementia 13. Join Bill Woods in his twisted experiments in Maniac. Wonder at the perversity of Jason Evers as he keeps the severed head of hisfiancée alive in The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.

Cult Classics
Marvel at a plant’s cannibalistic appetite when Audrey cries "feeeed me" in The Little Shop of Horrors. Fear for the fate of humanity as flesh-eating zombies roam the earth in Night of the Living Dead. Find out what it’s like to be The Last Man on Earth…Vincent Price knows!

Silent Horror Classics
Watch the amazing Lon Chaney in Phantom of the Opera, slinking through the cellars of the Paris Opera House. Marvel at the chilling Max Schreck in Nosferatu, giving a truly mesmerizing performance. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Why did TreeLine Films call this collection Horror Classics?
After watching over 45 of these so called "Horror Movies" I would have to say that I am just a little bit disappointed with this collection. Overall for the price this set is great if you like old movies without the blood and gore of todays violent movies. There are some good classics such as Night of the Living Dead and Carnival of Souls and some really awful movies such as Beast of the Yucca Flats but all and all the majority of the movies have been fun to watch. I guess my final opinion is that there were more mystery type movies than horror movies but the price and entertainment value more than offset the disappointment in the title. I am also waiting patiently and planning to purchase the Classic War Movies collection coming out later this year.

What A BARGAIN! 50 Classics & Schlock For A Pittance!!!
I purchased this 50 DVD box set this past autumn (for Halloween) and have viewed all of the films. There are some GREAT CLASSICS mixed with fabulous SCHLOCK for a price that can't be beat!

Different horror genres including:

Crusty, Creepy Creatures
Descend to the depths of the deep, dark ocean and encounter the "Phantom From 10,000 Leagues" and "Creature From The Haunted Sea". Check out the cheesy and quite primitive special effects in "The Giant Gila Monster". Rediscover terror of dogs dressed up in fur playing "The Killer Shrews". Hold your breath to see which hick from the backwoods will actually survive "The Attack of the Giant Leeches"! Also the great "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" with the fabulous Lon Chaney, Jr., "The Gorilla", "Swamp Women", "Atom Age Vampire", "Beast Of yucca Flats", "Black Dragons", "Invisible Ghost", "The Vampire Bat" with Fay Wray, "White Zombie" with Bela Lugosi and "The Bat" With Vincent Price!

Majorly Maddening Madmen
Descend into insanity and weird funereal rites in Francis Ford Coppola's first full-length feature "Dementia 13". Be astounded at the scientific perversity of Jason Evers as he keeps the severed head of his fiancée alive in "The Brain that Wouldn't Die". Also includes, "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde", "The Monster Maker", "Maniac", "The Amazing Mr. X", "The Tormented", and "Bluebeard".

Cult Classics
Watch when Audrey II cries "feeeed me" in "Little Shop of Horrors". Fear for the fate of humanity as flesh-eating zombies roam the earth in Romero's "Night of the Living Dead". Find out what it's like to be "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price and "The Last Woman On Earth" with Robert Towne. Go to the "Carnival Of Souls" with Candace Hilligoss, even!

Silent Horror Classics
Watch the amazing Lon Chaney in "Phantom of the Opera", slinking through the cellars of the Paris Opera House. Marvel at the chilling Max Schreck in "Nosferatu", giving a truly mesmerizing performance and the classic and futuristic, "Metropolis".

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! I highly recommend this very cool and inexpensive box set for anyone who likes classic horror, cheesy schlock, Bela Lugosi or stylings of the great Ed Wood!

Happy Watching!

great fun!
These movies were barely B-Classic...they were cheap Drive-In flicks, and later, showed late late night under banners such as Fright Night or Chamber of Horrors; not even Elvira would show these puppies. But they are great fun. I love these old B&W films, they have a class all their own. They are neatly organized so you will find the titles quickly, and have something for everyone.

I have the 50 Pack of Old Mysteries and the one of Sci-Fi...they are just great ways to packages these old movies you thought you'd never see again.

A Mixed Bag (No Surprise)
First off, I have not seen all 50 movies, only about 28 so far. But I have some opinions on this package already. The movies come on 12 double-sided DVDs with the contents clearly marked on the inner ring of each disc. Each DVD comes in a cardboard sleeve with the movie's description printed on it. The menus are basic, scene selection is awkward but if you just want to watch the whole movie, it works fine. The quality of the picture and sound vary considerably. Some of the movies are a bit blurry with muddy sound and some missing frames, but all were watchable to me. Some of the movies are outstandingly clear both in picture and sound, such as 'Beast of Yucca Flats' (which may be the worst movie I have ever seen).
The silent movies have a musical soundtrack, but it doesn't really go with the action. "Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Hyde', for instance, sounds like someone put a Bach organ recital CD on and just let it play. I don't understand why 'Metropolis' was included in a horror package, but it's a good movie.
I know I sound as if I didn't like this set, but I have found it very entertaining and there is more variety to the selections than I expected. There are some real standouts, such as 'Carnival of Souls' that make this set worthwhile if you are of a mind to enjoy old movies.
I rated it three stars because the quality of the transfers could be improved on quite a bit; but really if you factor in the price, it is an enormous bargain. I plan to get several of the other 50 movie sets. ... Read more

Description

Misty’s Secret:Sought after as one of her most sensuous films and until now out-of-print, Misty’s Secret is an early Misty Mundae film shot in Paris and NY and co-stars Seduction Cinema favorites Ruby LaRocca and Tine Krause as Misty’s sultry roommates.Vampire’s Seduction: Wally Van Helsing, great-great-grandson of the legendary vampire killer, is hunted down by Dracula’s daughter and seduced into becoming a mindless servant that seeks out delectable women to deliver to her lair. ... Read more

Description

When William M. Gaines took over Entertaining Comics (EC) in 1947, the company was nothing special. That all changed three years later when Gaines and editor Al Feldstein decided to write horror stories. Kids and teens went wild over Feldstein's ghoulish host, the Crypt Keeper, and sales of the books went through the roof. EC's exceptional writing and art would raise the level of comic book storytelling to heights that had never been reached before - or since.

By 1954, however, the company found itself under attack from parents who considered the magazines too violent for children. Critics tried to link horror comics to juvenile delinquency and the U.S. Senate held televised hearings on the matter. The resulting backlash nearly killed the comic book industry. Many publishers banded together and created their own brand of censorship - the Comics Code Authority - which banned horror comics. Gaines was forced to fold the EC line.

But his legendary comics quickly acquired collector's item status, and in the mid-1970's, publisher Russ Cochran began reprinting them in hardcover volumes. The Cochran reprints soon caught the eye of Hollywood mega-producer Joel Silver, himself an EC fan, who created an anthology television series for HBO based on the comic book stories. Tales from the Crypt, and its host, the Crypt Keeper, became pop culture icons.

This documentary tells the story of these famous, controversial and influential comic books. In addition, several authors and film directors, including John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Joel Silver and R.L. Stine, discuss how EC's horror comics inspired their work.

The DVD is packed with more than 3 hours of bonus material, including the first-ever roundtable discussion between EC Editor/Artist Al Feldstein and legendary science fiction author Ray Bradbury (who had many of his short stories adapted by EC), and never-before-seen interviews with several EC artists, including Al Williamson. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good Lord! Choke!!!
If you are a died in the wool EC fan then the body of this set, the hour long documentary on EC, isn't going to tell you much that you don't already know.But having said that, it's still great to watch.The bonuses are the real value of this set.Mr. Selby has created a document that can proudly stand on any bookshelf with the likes of the fanzines Squa Tront, Spa Fon, the books Tales of Terror, Foul Playand the The EC Library!If you aren't a hardcore Fan-addict, then this dvd may just make you one.By all means buy this set and support the effort of Mr. Selby....you'll be glad you did!

Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television
Wonderful History of EC comics and the Pre-Code Horror Genre of Comic books prior to the Implementation of the Comics Code Authority in 1955. An absolute must for the afficionado of EC comics. Highly Recommend this DVD in conjuction with Grant Geissman's new book Foul Play. AAA+

A documentary gem
This DVD set contains a superb hourlong documentary, plus hours and hours of often fascinationg interviews with the remaining wizards who created the EC Comics of the late 1940s and early 1950s. It's a painstaking project EC fans will love and all fans of comic books and graphic art will appreciate. Keep Grant Geissman's "Foul Play" book or Russ Cochran's EC reprints handy to look up references to individual stories.

Shouldn't people who write reviews first see the show?
John Q. Public is a perfect example of why Amazon should screen "customer" reviews.It's quite obvious that he never watched this documentary; if he thought EC comics and the HBO "Tales from the Crypt" series were "second rate," then why did he buy and watch this DVD in the first place? It is equally obvious from his other reviews that the sole purpose of his existence is to bash others (apparently he has it in for comic books - perhaps he had a traumatic experience reading Donald Duck as a kid).

As the editorial reviews attest, this documentary is hardly "cheaply done."Rather than "giving comics a bad name," this show shines a spotlight one of the most influential comic book companies of all time, and examines the controversy over horror comic books in the 1950s.Like the EC Comics themselves, this documentary is visually innovative, using vibrant montages and spectacular visual effects to highlight the original comic artwork.It is an exceptional program and highly recommended for fans of the original comic books, the later HBO television series, pop culture or even history buffs.

Done in the cheap Kevin Smith style.....
Movie on how a second rate series of pulp magazine stories came to be adapted by HBO as a mostly second rate TV series. Nothing special here.The interviews are with comic book artists and TV makers who have long hair and do not have a life, It makes you laugh at how patheic they are.Much like the recent History Channel special Comic Book superheroes unmasked was done.Cheaply and by people who give comics a very bad reputation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An ultra-naughty Misty Mundae performance
Silk Stocking Sadist, a Factory 2000 production better known as Silk Stocking Strangler, stars the incomparable, gorgeous Misty Mundae and fellow After Hours Cinema starlet Katie Jordan in a film that goes beyond eroticism and kinkiness into a world that some viewers, even Misty fans, may find uncomfortable to watch. You expect the whole girl-girl thing with Katie and Misty (and it really doesn't get much better than what you will find here), but Silk Socking Sadist is also heavy on the fetishism, with elements of bondage, asphyxiation, and kinky shoe appreciation, all culminating in a hanging scene. It is not really as bad as it sounds, but those who like to pretend the naughtiest of activities do not exist will want to steer clear of this one. As far as the story goes, Jackie (Katie Jordan) and Olivia (Misty Mundae) are behind on the rent, so they agree to perform a number of increasingly extreme shows for their lecherous landlord. The ultimate conclusion is disturbing yet powerful.

The Naughty Edition of the film comes with a making-of featurette, and it is really quite interesting to watch. For one thing, you get to see exactly how the hanging scene was done (dismissing any fears the viewer might have that poor Katie actually came to a bad end). Of more interest to me, though, was the manner in which the film was produced. The whole movie was filmed in one day by William Hellfire in somebody's basement (they had to wrap up by 4 pm because the guy's mother would be coming back home at that time). Katie Jordan didn't even know the name of Misty's character at the beginning, and filming is interrupted several times by dogs barking outside. Misty Mundae's performance in this dark adults-only film is nothing short of mesmerizing (although, to repeat myself, this movie is not for everyone), offering further proof that her talent is rather wasted in movies such as this. ... Read more

Description

A young woman named Clara is captured by a serial killer named Leonard who records his 'life story' by keeping a scrapbook of his many victims. In addition to adhering Polaroids, scraps of clothing, and other small trophies to the pages, Leonard has forced his victims to personally write in the scrapbook about their individual ordeals. Clara is beaten, raped, starved, and locked up like an animal, filthy and naked. She is forced to write in the scrapbook, adding her agony to the pages. She soon realizes that her only hope for survival is to manipulate Leonard through her writings in his cherished scrapbook. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Provocative, but tedious
SCRAPBOOK seems to be the result of intelligent filmmakers making a movie in a situation where someone is simply never saying "no" to them. I'm not saying this is a bad thing at all, but one must be responsible to it. The makers of SCRAPBOOK are somewhat responsible, in that the subject matter is treated with seriousness. But, mostly, it feels like by-the-numbers exploitation.

The acting is merely okay. In fact, it is only believable when the actors are screaming, or not speaking at all. The tension is palpable then and only then. The rest of the acting feels phony, making the movie almost silly and unreasonably upsetting.

The movie is bold in its depiction of nudity, violence and sex. It often goes over the top, and rightly so. But the technique betrays the subject matter many times. Constant dissolves and whatnot get in the way of simply telling a straight story. Also, sometimes the camerawork is raw, gritty, and documentary like. Other times, it has an arthouse, picturesque feel. Pick one or the other and be consistent.

A lot of what you've heard about the film is true. It's raw. It's explicit. All of that. However, the filmmakers seem to undercut themselves often simply because they still have a lot to learn about telling a story.

An interesting and affecting movie with powerful (yet not very well acted) performances that pushes many boundaries and is the most visceral thing I've seen in a while. But it doesn't seem to have a soul. What I mean is: I didn't care whether anyone in the film lived or died, as the whole thing seemed a variety of setpieces for "provocative" scenes. The characters are two-dimensional. The killer is an amalgamal cliche, with a silly freudian flashback "explaining" his current behaviour. The victim has no personality or gravitas. She is, simply, "the victim." And her later motivations seem awkward and silly (yet entertaining) as she attempts escape.

A movie that is more about shock and serial killer movies, than it is about a serial killer.

But recommended in its explicitness.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you want to see great, experimental filmmaking that tells a story and is visually amazing, watch Stanze's previous effort "ICE FROM THE SUN".

Another gem from Eric Stanze and friends!
This movie is not for the timid. Low budget assault on your sense of right and wrong. In the footsteps of "I Spit On Your Grave" it takes you one step further into the mind of true madness. The sound quality rises and falls creating hushed converstaions (turn it up) to loud screams (turn it down) so real it is sure to get the neighbors dialing 911. If you are not offended by extremely realistic bloody rape scenes then give this one a look.

As with Ice From The Sun, Stanze puts it all on the screen. The plot here is simple but executed with a real quality sure to offend anyone. Ths acting here is excellent, but I wonder how much is acting (except by "Leonard" played by the departed Tommy Biondo) and how much is reacting to the sequences they are a part of. "True horror is simply what one human being can do to another"

I am floored!!!!
I recently had the chance to see this DVD. Part of me wishes I never had viewed this disturbing movie.
While watching SCRAPBOOK I felt dirty! It felt like at any moment SWAT officers were going to bust down my fron door and take me in for contributing to the badness of society!!!
After the movie was over I sat back and reflected on the experience. And this is the conclusion that I came to:

SCRAPBOOK is the most honest, brutal,powerful, and true look at a serial killer that I have ever seen! The camera does NOT shy away from the violence. It feels like the viewer is dropped in the middle of a serial killers life. And you see EVERYTHING!!!

If you want a glossy Hollywood movie...look elsewhere!
But if you are looking for brilliant, raw and powerful filmmaking then this is your movie!

HIGHLY reccommended! ... Read more

Description

The Ultimate Filmmakers Guide is the COMPLETE film school on DVD.This 3-disc package contains the film that started it all, the award-winning "Time and Again," that shattered Hollywood's perception of what low-budget movies look like. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Need and intro to DV filmmaking? This is it..
I bought this looking for a video tutorial on DV video making.. The How to Make a Hollywood Movie on a budget alone is worth the price of the bundle. It's over 5 hours of detailed accounts, tips, tricks and how-tos from camera work, editing, casting, directing, locations, etc..etc..

The producers notebook is filled with example forms and sheets to use, and provides additional footage of the actual movie that you can edit..

... Read more

Description

A group of yuppies charter a plane for a camping getaway, only to find themselves making an emergency landing on an isolated island.They are taken in for the night by the only inhabitants, the rapidly-religious "Ma & Pa", who seem trapped in a Rockwellian time-warp.This proves to be every bit as unpleasant as it seems. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

DON'T MESS WITH "MA" & "PA"!!!!!!!
WHAT A COOL MOVIE. A GROUP OF YOUNG FRIENDS DECIDES TO TAKE A TRIP (USING ONE OF THOSE WATER AIRPLANES)TO AN ISLAND FOR SOME FUN & GOOD TIMES. WELL THE PLANE DOENS'T MAKE IT TO THEIR INTENDED DESTINATION SO THEY HAVE TO STOP AND MAKE CAMP ON ANOTHER ISLAND ALONG THE WAY. UNABLE TO FIX THE PLANE THEY DECIDE TO INVESTIGATE THE ISLAND AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN FIND IN THE WAY OF HELP. THEY COME UPON A HOUSE AND WHEN NOONE ANSWERS THE DOOR THEY LET THEMSELVES IN AND HAVE A LOOK AROUND. THEY START GETTING INTO THINGS AND HAVING A GOOD TIME WHEN THE OWNERS OF THE HOUSE, "MA", & "PA", SHOW UP. THEY ARE AN ODD-LOOKING COUPLE BUT THEY SEEM TO WANT TO BE HOSPITABLE SO THEY ASK THE KIDS TO STAY. LITTLE BY LITTLE WE BEGIN TO MEET THE WHOLE FAMILY. THERE'S A DAUGHTER OF ABOUT 50 WHO BELIEVES THAT SHE IS ONLY 12 YEARS OLD. THEN A BROTHER POPS UP. AND SOON AFTER THAT ANOTHER BROTHER. ALL OF THESE "CHILDREN" ARE IN THEIR 40'S OR 50'S BUT THEY STILL ACT LIKE YOUNG AND VERY IMMATURE KIDS. IN FACT THE WHOLE FAMILY STILL LIVES AS IF IT'S THE 1920'S! THINGS GET MORE AND MORE BIZARRE AND MEMBERS OF THE GROUP OF FRIENDS START TURNING UP DEAD. FINALLY WE REALIZE THAT THIS FAMILY IS DOWNRIGHT CRAZY. EVEN PSYCHOTIC. AS MORE OF THE FRIENDS ARE KILLED OFF THE FEW REMAINING WONDER IF THEY WILL EVER ESCAPE ALIVE. WELL THAT'S THE STORY I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IT ENDS. BUT IT SURE WAS A HOOT TO WATCH. A VERY CLEVER CONCEPT & IT PLAYED OUT NICELY. WELL AT LEAST FOR MY MORBID TASTE ANYWAY! THE MORAL OF THE STORY: "DON'T MESS WITH "MA" & "PA"!---OR THEIR CRAZY "KIDS"!!!!!!!!

a Homer Simpson moment
I love the ending when the old man renounces God and then instantly gets killed!

D'OH!!!!

Not exactly a honeymooner's island paradise
American Gothic is a slice of 80's slasher cheese that throws all horror clichés into a pot of boiling stew and offers no explanation for the absurdities shown on screen.Such as why would someone let a couple of lunatics push them on a swing at the edge of a rocky cliff?Why would a deeply religious god worshipper all of a sudden pledge to Satan when things are not going his way? After firing a gun at a maniac pursuing her, why would a woman drop the gun to the floor and not bother picking it up before running away?In the midst of watching this flick, it didn't take me long to come to the realization that the filmmakers were simply throwing in every cliché in the book in order to make somewhat of a horror/comedy hybrid, instead of a straight slasher film.

3 Seattle couples board a private plane en route to Jackson Island, a resort in the pacific northwest intended for rich yuppie types.During the trip, the plane's engine sputters and the pilot is forced to land on another island short of their destination.The island appears to be deserted at first, but upon further exploration, the travelers stumble upon an old cabin in the middle of the woods.The inhabitants of the cabin turn out to be an old, deeply religious couple that go by the name of "Ma" and "Pa".Also inhabiting their house are their three deranged children, all of them who appear to be at least in their forties but who don't act a year older than 10.Ma and Pa appear at first very kind, inviting the travelers for dinner and to stay the night.The travelers soon find out that there is a great price for this hospitality however, as Ma and Pa's "children" turn out to have an insatiable appetite for murder.

American Gothic doesn't waste any time getting started, as the travelers land on the island only about ten minutes into the movie.Once the first murder occurs, the pace flies by as some of the travelers get dispatched with ridiculous ease.From then on the movie turns into a revenge flick as the sole survivor turns the table on the murderous inbred family.Most of the murders sadly happen off screen and there is not much in the matter of grue (which is not unusual with 80's slasher fare).Yes, there is a small amount of blood but we only get to see it after the murder, once the victim is lying dead on the ground.One of the most obvious flaws in the movie is that we're never sure when Cynthia, one of the travelers recently released from a psych ward, is sane or not.Most scenes with her in it left me wondering whether she had become totally insane and joined the ranks of Ma and Pa's family or if she was simply playing along so she could escape.It would be nice to know but instead the viewer is left guessing.

I found American Gothic effectively chilling but not for the obvious reasons.There are no jumps or surprises or traditional horror movie scares.The spookiest part is watching so many characters fall into utter depths of insanity.The idea of parents raising their children on a deserted island their entire lives and never letting them leave in fear that they may be "contaminated by the outside world", all in the name of religious blasphemy, is something I found to be quite chilling.The acting was also surprisingly effective, especially the over-the-top performance of "Pa", played by Rod Steiger and by Fannie of the 3 "children".I don't imagine it's easy playing a 40-something with the mentality of a murderous 10 year old and trying to keep a straight face through it all.American Gothic is a decent film for those looking for a stylistic 80's slasher with great scenery and a barrel of laughs both intentional and unintentional.

what a surprise!!! finally i found a gem
a few times each month i go to the local video store and rent a horror flick i've never heard of before....i come upon alot of crap, so its really a great pleasure when i come upon something good and original...this is one of them

if you dont watch alot of horror flicks i think you will still enjoy this one, its creepy more than anything, and the kids are just weird and keep you wondering when and how they are going do something screwed up...

on top of that the victims in this film are stuck on the island....i liked that idea that they had to confront these weirdos..nowhere to run to nowhere to hide

Get more for your money
O'kay, I will be the first to agree that this is a good movie for what it is (b-grade cheesey 80's slasher flick). But where do they get the price from!?! $90 for this?!? Rent it at your local wierd video video store. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The usual slasher-movie teens charter a boat to attend a rave in Washington's San Juan islands, find zombies there, and splatter their guts all over the place. House of the Dead shows early promise when the boat captain is the dude from Das Boot (Jürgen Prochnow) and the mate is the inimitably weird Clint Howard. Alas, things devolve from there. The movie includes frequent flashes from its video game inspiration, not that we need much reminding of the obvious source. Amongst the rotten dialogue, bad acting, and gratuitous topless scenes, there's one looooong shootout sequence in the middle of the picture that should be the main attraction for fans of this kind of thing. Otherwise, it's at the level of every other slasher movie, video game or no video game, in which stupid people do stupid things to keep themselves in harm's way. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (197)

House of the Braindead
I am going to start off by saying that I have never had such a visceral dislike of a movie in my life. I have over 400 movies, over 300 of which are horror films. This movie will never be in that collection. As God is my witness, I would sooner have my eyelids cut off with a razor and salt water poured over my face. It would be less painful than watching this movie for a second time.

I am not going to go into the details about the oh-so-many reasons that I feel this is the worst piece of crap I have ever seen. I will just mention them briefly, since so many other people have already gone into so much detail in their reviews. Let's just give a quick list and then go into why I felt the need to add another bad review.

1. Bad acting
2. Bad plot
3. Too many illogical inconsistencies.
4. Myriad continuity errors.
5. Overuse of Matrix style effects.
6. Use of videogame clips.
7. Obvious use of game-syle shots.
8. The fact they are actually making a sequel.
9.Several people have mentioned gratuitous nudity. Hey, as far as I am concerned, that was the ONLY enjoyable part of this movie.
10. The totally unbelieveable coincidences.

Since there are so many reviews of this piece of cinematic sludge, why yet another? Because there are actually GOOD reviews here that I want people to understand are being written for very misguided reasons. PLEASE don't let yourself be swayed by them into buying this movie! If you HAVE to see & judge the movie for yourself, as I generally do, then please just rent it. That way, once your senses, and intelligence, have been suitably insulted & brutalized, you can run as fast as your feet can take you back to the video store to let them have this steaming compost pile back.

I have seen reviews here touting this movie, saying "Hey, it is based on a video game, so why did you expect more? It's a good movie for it's type!" No, it isn't. NEVER have I seen a movie based on a video game that is so shamefully obvious an attempt to sell more games. The aforementioned actual game clips slipped thoughout the film in no logical fashion, the "game over" shots during the fight seens as the killed characters spins their way into the afterlife, and the incredibly ludicrous "shooting alley" scene in the underground tunnels as the zombies step out one & two at a time to be shot? How cheesy and obvious can you get? Plus the corporate sponsorship of a rave by Sega??? PUH-EEZE!!!! Just because it is based on a videogame does NOT entitle a moviemaker to just haphazardly throw a "film" together. This is a waste of whatever money and time you spend to see it, even if you see it free on cable a few months from now. I've seen better films on people's teeth.

The second reason for this review is the unbelieveably insulting reviews that say these reviews are coming from people who can be "real" horror movie fans or fans of the zombie genre. It enrages me when people think they can be that overbearing and self-righteous. I have seen literally hundreds of horror movies in my life and can generally find SOME reason to recommend them. Some of the worst movies ever made have some very enjoyable moments.Ed Wood Jr.'s "classic" "Plan 9 From Outer Space", generally regarded as the worst film ever made, is so beautifully bad that it makes you howl with laughter. I sat in the theater cursing the 5 bucks I had thrown away. Not one laugh. I have movies from the beautiflly horrifying to films that I love because they ARE so bad. Have you ever seen "The Creaure From the Haunted Sea"? Now's there is a beaut of a movie. A "monster" who looks like a giant turd with eyes wearing rubber gloves with claws attached to them and classic lines such as "It was dusk. I could tell because the sun was going down"!!! Now THAT is a bad movie worth watching. And these reviewers comparing this movie to Romero, Fulci, Raimi or even the classic "Blind Dead" series really would be better off going back & watching those movies to get a firm grip on the reality of what makes a zombie movie good. Even "Shockwave" was better than this in it's worst moments. And those who say that this was intentionally meant to be be bad, so that makes it good? I haven't heard anyone involved with the making of this admit that yet, so I don't buy it. This was no "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" or "Toxic Avenger". This movie is every bit the same as any Ed Wood movie: the attempt by a director to make a classic horror film and failing badly. At least Ed Wood's flicks are funny.

I have also seen reviews here saying that this is an obvious tribute to some of the directors and movies mentioned above. If that is the case, then I would say that the moviemakers here have no real respect for those movies & directors or they would have made a good movie instead of this celluloid disaster. I would be insulted if I was Romero. Even Fulci's worst movies had more style, class, atmosphere and plot than this pale, sad, imitation of his movies. He has GOT to be spinning in his grave if this is an ode to him.

In conclusion, PLEASE spare yourself the agony of watching this intolerable drek. If you want good zombies, watch ANYTHING other than this. This movie is so bad that even commercials for the DVD make me want tot hrow things at the screen and I have heard rumors there are some states considering using "House of the Dead" as capital punishment.

Absolute garbage
To think in 2003 they can make a zombie movie this awful. This film scrapes the bottom of the barrel for any originality at all. Yes it is based on a video game which can only mean one thing, advertisement for the game itself. In Mortal Kombat a loose plot was centralized around getting as many characters onto the screen whether they fit into the story or not. However House of the Dead takes this ine step lower.

As you watch the movie, inserted into the fight scenes are 'actual' scenes from the game! That's right folks, whoever came up with this, thought it would be wonderful to watch the video game pixels as you watched the movie. I coudldn't believe they actually did this. They took an otherwise bad movie and melted the cheese all over it.

Second we also have to endure a super long extended fight scene with not only the video game scenes but with second rate and very overused 'Matrix' stunts. They are terrible. Maybe the shot spreading out from the shotgun was a good idea, but it was executed horribly.

The characters are as thin as paper and as wooden as Grandma's breakfast table. To top it all off we even have Ron Howard's little brother playing the first mate of the ship.

For the love of God, rent this movie for two bucks and torture yourself before you spend twenty dollars to buy it. You couldn't even sell this on eBay for a penny. It's the worst thing I've sene in years.

Awful.
I can't beat about the bush, House of The Dead is terrible, you only have to look at all the negative reviews that already exist to realise how bad it is. Why on earth this film was "based" on the Sega game is beyond me, it bears no relation to the plot of that game at all. I have played House of the Dead and the action in the game is far better directed and presented than this movie. Basically, a bunch of teens arrive on an island where a music festival is taking place, only to find everyone dead and the place overrun with zombies. Thats it. There's no acting or character development to speak of, just a lot of fighting with cheap looking zombies. Some of the girls take their tops off. The teens then come across a stash of weapons and instantly transform into action heros with superhuman gun skills, after which a 45 minute gun battle against the undead ensues, all accompanied by screeching thrash music. The effects are cheap and unimpressive, and the logical flaws littering the movie will make you want to throw things at the screen. I don't mind a lack of realism if the movie has a tongue in cheek atmosphere, but there's no hint of a sense of humour here. If you are still awake by the end, you will get to see the explanation and twist (gasp!) ending, but I doubt that you will even care by this time.
The only bits I enjoyed of the whole movie were the screen wipes which flashed actual footage from the game on screen (!). I just wish I had been able to use a lightgun for this movie so that i could have blasted the whole mess out of existance.
Avoid at all costs.

Painful.
I haven't seen a Horror film this bad since "Beaches," starring Bette Midler. Okay, so "Beaches" wasn't a Horror film. But it was equally painful to watch. I kept having flashbacks to another horrible film called "Humanoids from the Deep." I knew 5 minutes in that this movie was going to be a challenge to sit through to the end. However, I was laughing at how cheesy everything looked. From the ridiculous stage sets to the fake zombies(stuntmen in masks), it was all too obvious. Here are a few more examples of smelly cheese: there was an Asian babe dressed in tights made to look like the American flag--her name was "Liberty"; there was a Ripley-esque Harbor cop with a shoot first, ask questions later mentality; there was horrible, improvised dialogue--somebody got paid for this!; bad "special" effects and a lot of fireball explosions; early in the movie there were plenty of gratuitous boobie-shots for the incredibly bored male audience members; there were feeble editing cutaways to video-game graphics(was this supposed to be cool?). The only moment during the movie that was slightly watchable was the zombie-slaughter in the graveyard using Bullet-time photography a la "The Matrix." The last line in the movie was the most frightening moment of the film: "Is this the end...or only the beginning?" Please...let it be the end.

you would have to be retarded to enjoy this movie
Even if you are one of the dorks who play this video game, surely you couldn't find this movie entertaining. It is a plot-less heap of wasted film. The violence wasn't even intertaining. Twenty-something brats on an island who magically and instinctively learn how to fire automatic weapons at zombies no less. I was hoping I would aspirate my drink so I wouldn't have to continue watching it. Luckily I was in my own home so the cursing at the screen didn't offend anyone, including my wife who was cursing at it with me. Simply pathetic. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME!!
I rented (thank God) This film thinking it would be a decent remake of "I Spit on Your Grave" Which was a fair B movie at best. But from the very begining of this film you just want it to GET ON WITH IT!! If it were not for the Long drawn out scenes the thing woulnt even be 74 min long I think there is about 20 mins long. The only good thing about this move is the crystal clarity of the actual picture..Too bad the leading lady is about as attractive as pig swill. Dont waste your time or money on this STINKER.

How can anyone like this movie?
About the only thing I can say that is good about this movie is that it is not hollywood, but really who cares? This is not a horror movie. In fact all it is is a cheap porn/snuff film that is pathetic because there wasn't even a good sex scene. It was not scary, it was not sexy, it did not shock me. I knew what was going to happen in every scene. Some scenes were drawn out for too long. In reality this movie could be made in one day, thats how stupid it was. PLEASE DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE! It was a waste of time. I ended up fastforwarding through the whole thing. Maybe a little too much crystal meth and marajuana was involved in the making of the film and the proceeds should go to rehabilitation and incarceration of the creators of this movie. I believe that anyone who has any intelligence will agree....

I spit on your corpse I piss on your grave
Sexually explicit and violent film made last year on a minute budget, very graphic in places.Its about a women who gets sexually abused by about three or four men and then disposes of them in a vairitey of gruesome ways,While getting sexual kicks out of it.If you like shocks this film is for you.Film runs for about 73 mins and has behind the scenes footage and an interview with the director and a wealth of other goodies.

Extreme to the end
Eric Stanze is building himself quite a reputation with fans of exploitation cinema and this movie only strengthens that.

To give you too many details of the actual film would be to detract from its overall visceral and shock themes, but simply put, it's a fresh take on 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. Very explicit and downright cruel in places, this is a well made sucker punch to the gloss of Hollywood and shows what can be achieved when films are made to be challenging, rather than just mindless feel-good fodder.

Highly recommended, but for fans of extreme cinema only. If you're easily offended, stay away!

Ok, this is just bad!
Amazon has this movie as a 1974 release, which is one of the main reasons I bought it. It's not a 74' release, it's a 2001 release by a group of about 10 inexperienced, amateurish, 20-something "filmakers." The "plot" is on a girl who meets her escaped from jail b/f in the woods and he takes her to some guys house where he has captured 3 different guys who have in some way done this girl wrong.
The b/f says he will kill her too, but she ends up defending herself and killing him instead. The tables turn and instead of releasing these guys she decides to torture and kill them one by one in some inhumane ways (pretty sick stuff, but so badly done it's stupid). After her revenge, the movie's over.
This "film" runs 73 minutes long, and about the first 20 are pointless overly run shots of the b/f's brother attacking a girl (which really has nothing at all to do with the story) and some pointless still shots of religious statues in a cemetary (which also have no meaning whatsoever to the movie).
...It took them 8 days to shoot this thing...8! How good of a movie can you have in 8 days? It just looks like people who were bored and needed something to do. And the sex scenes?! Ridiculous! There is 1 real lovemaking scene which is the stupidest thing ive ever seen on film. One sodomizing scene with a broom handle, which i guess could be "graphic," and a scene of the girl masterbating with the broomstick (which is the only good part of the movie). The extras are funny though, not in a good way. "the making of" stuff runs waaayyyy too long for such short and cheap of a movie, and the fact that these people are proud of their efforts is even more pathetic. I can't say enough bad things about this dvd! It's boring, it's stupid, it's extremely low budget. This is the kind of movie that shouldn't be sold but be distributed free for promotional uses (ok, maybe they should sell it, but for no more then 10 bucks!) When I got this I thought I was actually buying a REAL movie, obviously I was very sadly disappointed. DON'T BUY THIS, YOU'LL REGRET IT, I GUARANTEE IT! ... Read more

Description

If you are a fan of Misty Mundae, then this is the video for you...featuring beautiful 19 yr old Misty Mundae (more recently featured in the nationally released Play-Mate of the Apes, Lord of the G-Strings, Erotic Survivor and Gladiator Eroticus).

GOING UNDER (1998) Rare Film from B-Movie Icon Misty Mundae!

starring Misty Mundae, Chelsea Mundae (credited as Daisy DeWright), Amanda Star Leslie Loves

Directed by Bill Hellfire

Story 1: Two young women (Chelsea Mundae and Leslie Loves) are watching a crime drama video when a deranged killer (Bill Hellfire) breaks into the houss. Will the two women survive the ordeal?

Story 2: A young couple returns from a date. Can he be trusted?

DVD Bonus: Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scene featuring Misty Mundae ... Read more

Description

Infamous Manga artist Hideshi Hibino received an 8 mm snuff film in the mail. After contacting the Japanese police and handing over the evidence, Mr. Hibino created asemi-documentary film on what he witnessed. The Flower ofFlesh and Blood is a recreation of the snuff film that isin the hands of the Tokyo Police. Now that you know do you have the guts? Also included on this DVD is the making of the Guinea Pig films. See how they worked the effects on one of the most brutal, horrifying films ever made in theannuls of cinematic history. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

yawn.................
after the scene where the 1st hand is cut off she'd have been dead in 10 minutes. however...........she's still breathing until the evisceration. don't think so. secondly, why would someone sedate a victim who he's OBVIOUSLY out to torture. for being based on something that really happened, this is weak suace. oh yeah......i've been living in japan for the past year and a half, none of my friends in tokyo have ever heard of these crimes.

Boring!!!
If you can't spot the flaws in the special effects of this film, then you need thicker glasses!

The gore in Cannibal Holocaust is more realistic because its's filmed from a distance where you can't see latex skin and cat food filling like in this film, Men Behind the Sun has an absolutely real cadaver disected on camera, their plenty of graphic mondo docos and shows on tv with real surgery on display. If you have seen any of these then nothing about Flowers will shock or disturb you.

While the make up crew came up with the goods the problem is the way the film is shot and scored. The director should commit hari kari for ruining any realism with lingering closeups and silly sound effects. This is easlily one of the most over-rated films out there. Everyone raves about "wild anything goes Japanese cinema" when in reality they cannot even display genitals in Japanese films without them being optically blurred!?

In all reality I had high hopes for this film and if it was a genuine looking snuff film then it would have being well worth the time. However it's boring, dragging out every single scene in order to fill out the running time and when the payoff comes the special effects are filmed ineptly enough that any seasoned viewer will see right through them. No plot, no depth. All this film has is special effects and they are not as great as several sheltered viewers would have you believe.

what are you talking about?
i dont understand why some people are saying that the effects in the guinea pig films,especially the two simulated snuff titles, flower of flesh and blood and devils experiment, look unrealistic because it just isnt true. these people obviously have no clue what their talking about. i have seen multiple mondo films and shockumentaries and one of the scenes that has always stuck with me was of an iragi man getting his hand cut off for stealing which in comparison to the woman in flower suffering the same type of mutilation to her hand isnt any more realistic or convincing but as most of you probably know the previously mentioned iragis fate was not staged and was not a gore effect it was for real. there are very few faults as far as the special effects go in both films. the only minor details that show either film to be staged are objects in the enviroment that just shouldnt be their such as the blanket that covers the woman throughout her mutilation (flower) or the actresses response to her torture (flower and devils exp.) all i want to clarify by writing this is that all these pretentious people that have seen either of the two films and call the effects bad should sit down and watch what its like to see a real persons body be mutilated its not a pretty sight and unless you have just shut the hell up and dont criticize the effects in either film because you have no idea how trully realistic they are. oh yeah make sure your kids dont get ahold of 'em because if they do they will certainly be scarred for the rest of their lives.

A Hallmark Movie of the Week this ain't
I think nearly every horror movie fan is aware of the notorious "Guinea Pig" series by now. If you like horror films or gory curiosities and aren't aware of this explosive series of Japanese movies, you ought to rush out right now and see a few of them. Made throughout the 1980s and 1990s, "Guinea Pig" pushes envelopes few people in this country would ever conceive possible. After viewing one of these repugnant films, a natural impulse is one of extreme revulsion. Why would anyone create such soul shattering images? It's important to remember that Japanese audiences possess a different attitude about horror films. As far as I can tell, in Japanese cinema anything and everything is fair game. A typical jaunt through the wilderness of Asian horror cinema (in which Japan plays a significant role) typically reveals graphic scenes of dismemberment, torture, and other no-no nasty behavior that rarely, if ever, appears in American films. Some films containing such stomach churning themes do occasionally rear their heads on this side of the pond, but these films rarely play to a wide audience. In Japan, the "Guinea Pig" franchise was a spectacular hit.

I haven't seen all of the films in this series, but out of the two installments I have watched, "The Flower of Flesh and Blood" easily wins the prize for outright sleaze and nastiness. It's difficult to imagine any film approaching (or descending to) the levels seen in this mind blasting forty-minute movie. Even Pier Paolo Pasolini's sickening homage to the evils of fascism, "Salo," fails to invoke the visceral sensations that "The Flower of Flesh and Blood" wallows in. This movie is a sledgehammer blow to the head and stomach with its unrelenting scenes of carnage and depravity. They ought to sell copies of this wrapped in a barf bag.

Manga artist Hideshi Hino directed this nightmarish look into the activities of a sadistic serial killer. That we know this guy is a serial killer and that he likes to stalk his prey before committing a brutal murder constitutes the plot in its entirety. There simply isn't much more here than a short stalking scene at the beginning of the story followed by a thirty-minute dismemberment filmed in nauseatingly sadistic detail. That's right, folks: "The Flower of Flesh and Blood" exists to show the viewer what it might be like to watch a snuff film.

Forget about character development. Two characters exist in this movie: the poor young woman picked up by the killer, and the killer himself. At least they made the murderer look like a complete psycho, as the guy wears a samurai helmet, a full body leather apron, and some sort of black caps on several of his teeth. This gentleman does not fit the bill of a role model in any way, shape, or form. He's a degenerate who likes to wax philosophic between removing arms and legs, blurting out weird lines about how his next activity will imitate blooming flowers and the like. At the end of the movie, he sings a melancholy song about sending people to the underworld. He also shines a different colored light on his victim at various times, although why he does this makes little sense. The majority of the film takes place in some seedy basement splashed with blood and filled with numerous tools of pain. Then you watch this guy commit his atrocities and that's it. There is nothing more to "The Flower of Flesh and Blood" than close up shots of bloody mayhem.

The DVD contains many interesting extras. There are several trailers from the other installments in the "Guinea Pig" series, one for the zombie film "Junk," several text interviews with director Hideshi Hino, an overview of the controversy involving Charlie Sheen (who supposedly saw this film and believed it was a real snuff film), a behind the scenes look at the special effects involved in the series, and a reproduction of a manga comic book with loose ties to the film written and illustrated by Hino. The documentary on the special effects provides some comfort after watching the gruesome movie, showing that it is all nothing more than a well made horror film. Still, I'm uncomfortable with the knowledge that "The Flower of Flesh and Blood" made such a big splash with Japanese audiences. Remember, this is the same country that committed the atrocities in Manchuria during the late 1930s, and there are still people living in Japan today who were intimately involved in mass murder and mass torture throughout Asia during World War II.

I think this entry in the "Guinea Pig" series ultimately fails to deliver the goods. As a gorehound, I appreciated the awesome special effects displayed in the movie, but the movie never rises to the occasion in terms of character development and plot. I watched the other Hino directed entry in the series, "Mermaid in a Manhole," a few years ago and I thought it well developed and interesting. In that film, which contained numerous graphic scenes, Hino developed a plot heavy on human suffering that showed emotional pain as a real tragedy. In "The Flower of Flesh and Blood," he indulges in sadism for the mere sake of sensationalism. If you really want to see this movie, just steel yourself for the depths of degradation. If you have kids in the house, don't even think about buying this film if there is any chance your children might find it. This is not acceptable viewing for youngsters, and it probably isn't acceptable viewing for most people. Beware, oh beware! "The Flower of Flesh and Blood" is upon you!

Awesome!
I have the complete set of Guinea Pig films and trust me, 'Flower of Flesh and Blood' is by far the best. The special effects are incredible and extremely believable.

The plot is simple - a girl gets kidnapped by a stranger who ties her to a bed and whilst wearing a samurai suit, starts to disembowel her and hack her to bits.

It's super-strong stuff and not your average gore flick but I heartly recommend this one.

Well done to Amazon for making this so freely available and on such a good DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The horror...the horror!
One of the worst days of my life was the day I stepped in a steaming pile of "Manos, the Hands of Fate." I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I bought the original, non MST3K version of the film on DVD, thought I could withstand the gutter level production values, the corpse-like acting from a cast of unknowns, the peppy Muzak soundtrack, the continuity errors, the molasses pacing, the cut and paste editing job, and dialogue that has an affect on the brain not unlike novocaine. I have seen some bad cinema in my short time on planet earth, but "Manos," a film directed, written, and starred in by a fertilizer salesman from El Paso, Texas, easily sails past such memorable dreck as "Warriors of the Lost World," "Feardotcom," and "Jack Frost." The film was so bad that the cast and crew snuck out of the theater during its premier, probably because they feared the audience would lynch them for unleashing this atrocity on humanity. According to a website dedicated to all things cinema, three of the actors in this film committed suicide within a year of the movie's release. While I hope the poor quality of the picture had nothing to do with these suicides, you will seriously wonder if it did after watching this car wreck.

Considering how this movie consistently fails in nearly every aspect, one important element not lacking is a plot. A family, consisting of mother, father, daughter, and poodle, heads out across the blasted wastelands of Texas on a fun filled trip. The excursion consists of a shifting series of seemingly endless shots of the barren landscape, punctuated occasionally by staccato bursts of nonsensical dialogue. Moreover, the first strains of elevator music play over the proceedings. You will learn to loathe this music, but at first it's sort of funny to hear these types of tunes in a film. The family ends up arriving at a decrepit house populated by the film's strangest character (and that says a lot). This is Torgo; a bizarre looking dolt who whispers stuff about "Master," sways a lot, and shambles around while whimsical music plays. He also takes a hankering to the mom character, has kneecaps the size of tires, and acts as the procurer of hapless victims for this enigmatic "Master." By the time I reached this point in the feature, I began mentally willing time to move faster. I looked at my watch so many times I suffered compound whiplash. But the Muzak kept playin', Torgo kept shufflin', and the dialogue kept getting dumber, so I kept watchin'. What can I say? I'm an idiot that way.

After the poodle and the daughter disappear, the parents become alarmed about Torgo's antics. Dad heads out into the dark desert to look for his kid and runs into a heap of trouble. It turns out "Master" and a number of his scantily clad wives are holding a secret ritual that requires the family to play a pivotal role. "Manos" shifts focus significantly here, as we see the inner workings of these odd characters. What do they do? Not much. Master wears a nifty cape with two large hands stitched on it (the best effect in the film, actually) while he rants and raves, and the women stand around gabbing or wrestling with each other. Torgo gets into so much trouble that Master decides to sacrifice him for his crimes in a spectacularly boring way. Why? Who knows? Who cares? If you're so involved in the film that you need answers to these questions, you have problems in need of serious resolution. The story fails in many ways but succeeds wildly in one important aspect-it ends.

"Manos, the Hands of Fate" reminded me of another film I watched recently, the incredibly awful "Invasion of the Blood Farmers." Both movies looked terrible but had a weird appeal, much like a car accident on the highway. You know you shouldn't look at human misery and suffering, but you simply cannot help doing so. One reason you look at such a horrific tragedy is for life affirming reasons; you're so thankful that isn't you and yours stretched out on the road. The same principle applies here. I'm so glad I had nothing to do with the production of "Manos, the Hands of Fate" that watching the whole thing provides a certain measure of detached relief. This principle is completely theoretical, of course, but it does justify why I let the DVD run all the way to the end. For some reason, claiming to love bad cinema for the sake of its badness just doesn't seem enough with movies like "Manos" and "Invasion of the Blood Farmers." In fact, promoting this picture as "so bad its good" in certain circles would probably get you taken out behind the woodshed. Watch "Manos, the Hands of Fate" as a metaphysical exercise and you'll probably emerge unscathed. Maybe. O.K., probably not, but I'm just trying to make the experience easier for you.

If you really must view this abomination, at least you won't pay a heavy monetary price to do so. Forget about any extras on the DVD-there aren't any, and that's how it should be for such a wretched piece of refuse. And really, why would you want a widescreen, crystal clear picture transfer, trailers, interviews, behind the scenes footage, commentaries, film history, and stills when a film like this one goes above and beyond the call of duty? "Manos, the Hands of Fate" is one of the seven wonders of the cinematic world. Enjoy, if you dare!

20 fun facts about Manos: The Hands Of Fate
You are reading about a film called Manos: The Hands Of Fate, which means you know by now what it's about, and maybe even a few fun facts. I would like to present a few more you might not have heard.

1. The film's title translates to Hands: The Hands Of Fate
2. It was filmed entirely with a handheld camera that could only record thirty seconds of film at a time.
3. The film was shot without sound; all the lines were later dubbed by only three people - two men and one woman.
4. The real reason John Reynolds (Torgo) appears to have big knees and walks funny is because his character is supposed to be a satyr. Reynolds designed his own prosthetics to make himself look like he had goat's feet. (Note how the wife gasps when she first looks down his feet, which the viewer does not get to see.)
5. Torgo was originally named Igor.
6. Harold P. Warren (writer/director/producer) is a fertilizer salesman from El Paso. He made a bet with a visiting location scout Stirling Silliphant that he could make a popular horror film on an extremely minimal budget.
7. Three stars of the film committed suicide shortly after shooting was completed: John Reynolds (Torgo), Joyce Molleur (teenager in car), and Diane Mahree (Margaret).
8. The film was shot in two and a half months with a budget of about $19,000.
9. The movie was given a gala premiere in El Paso upon its release, and many of the local dignitaries were on hand. Part way into the film, many people in the audience began to heckle the movie. Many of the film's stars and crewmembers snuck out before the end out of embarrassment.
10. The endless driving sequences at the beginning were supposed to have the opening credits over them, but were inexplicably left out.
11. In lieu of a salary, Hal Warren sold shares to the cast and crew for their hard work and long hours.
12. The Master's "Lodge Of Sins" was actually the ranch of then El Paso County Judge, Colbert Coldwell.
13. The city of El Paso was so involved that Hal Warren sent free tickets for the premiere to the press, all the aldermen and the Mayor of El Paso.
14. People attending the premiere at The Capri Theater in El Paso paid $0.35 (Children) $1.25/$1.00 (Adults/with a discount card).
15. Hal Warren later approached cinematographer, 'Robert Guidry' , with another script, this one called "Wild Desert Bikers". Guidry declined.
16. If the day or scenes or performances went poorly, director Hal Warren would reassure the novice cast that any errors would be fixed post-production by the magic of Hollywood.
17. The scenes featuring two teenagers who are hassled by the cops while kissing in their car were added because actress Joyce Molleur broke her leg during filming, and was unable to perform her original role.
18. Joyce was originally cast as one of the master's brides.
19. The master's brides were played by a group of models for Mannequin Manor.
20. The majority of the cast and crew never appeared or worked on another movie after this.

Be sure and watch this film at some point. It is the worst movie of all time and that alone assures it's legendary status.

Worth It's Weight In Mold!
A man and his wife and daughter are on their way to the Valley Inn, for a fun little getaway. They become hopelessly lost, ending up at the last house in the desert. The family is met there by Torgo, the bubble-thighed (like a grasshopper w/ elephantiasis), gibbering, hillbilly henchman of the mysterious "Master". Of course, rather than just leaving, our family decides to spend the night. Torgo gets too friendly with wifey and she slaps his fuzzy face. Meanwhile, the family's poodle "Pepe" has wandered outside to his doom. Hubby looks for his faithful canine, finding only a pile of black mattress-filler! The untold horror really begins when the Master rises from his slab in the nearby tomb! He's accompanied by six wives, dressed in atrocious white nightgowns. The women are not awake ten seconds before they start arguing! They can't decide whether to kill the whole family, or to spare the daughter or... After what seems like hours of inane bickering, the gals decide to fight each other, in what must be the most boring catfight ever filmed! They roll around in the sand, shaking and half-heartedly slapping each other. It's like watching a clownschool sorority induction party! Anyway, the Master decides to kill Torgo in another long, drawn out process of immense tedium. The family wanders around in the desert, unable to make any progress escaping, due to their total idiocy. So, they head back to the house of hellishness, only to be confronted by a golfball-eyed Master. Dad shoots him to no avail. This leads to the surprise / shock finale. MANOS is a movie written, produced, and directed by Harold P. Warren. Imagine Ed Wood's brain transplanted into the skull of a chipmunk. Now, give our Ed Wood chipmunk a lobotomy, a pad and pencil, fifty bucks, and a movie-camera. Given enough time, this Ed Woodized rodent would inevitably recreate the stunning masterpiece called MANOS THE HANDS OF FATE...

No one could make something worst than this even if they try
You don't know how bad a movie can be until you see Manos. I've seen a lot of bad movies during my life, bad actors, bad screenplays, bad effects, but none of that compares with Manos. Truly, so far, by far, this is the worst movie ever made. I can imagine a movie worst than this one, and if it exits, believe I won't see it.

One thing that I recommend, if you're going to see it, watch it alone the first time, then call your friends, wife, parents, whoever, and ask them to watch it, and enjoy the look on their faces, the expressions, everything. That's worth a lot,that is, if you dare to watch it again :-) .

"MANOS"... The Hands of Fate? Yes, Exactly.
Here it is: the original uncut edition of "MANOS" The Hands of Fate. Manos is the ultimate Mystery Science Theater experiment, and I love the MST treatment, but sometimes you just need to see a film unaltered to truly appreciate it's wretchedness. This is one of those times. This is the original film as envisioned by genius director/writer/actor Harold P. Warren. Really the only difference between this and the MST version is approximately one minute of extraneous filler that the good folks at Best Brains removed to get it to fit into the two hour time slot with the host segments of Joel and the Bots.

I won't bother to review the plot much here as anyone who would be looking this up almost assuredly knows the plot already. In case you don't here is the much abbreviated version: a family gets terrorized by lunatic devil worshippers, one of whom, Torgo, has really big knees. There. That's it. The beauty of seeing this version is in noticing the small things and subtle nuances that aren't obvious from the MST version, most notably clearer dialogue. I would bet that some of little Debbie's lines was dubbed by adults trying to sound like a four year old, for instance. The dialogue is still wretched, of course, but you can hear it better now. You also get the added minute of footage, and a whole new appreciation of how much suffering the people at Best Brains went through watching this repeatedly while writing the MST script.

"Manos" is definitely worth five stars: it truly is one of the most ineptly made films in history. It was the brainchild of Harold Warren, who spent his own money on it, and it brought him ridicule from legions of movie watchers since it was made in 1966. If you are interested in trivia, in addition to Warren's financing, Tom Neyman ('The Master') designed the sets. Neither ever worked in the movies ever again. On a genuinely sad note, the scathing criticism of this film is reportedly one of the things that drove John Reynolds ('Torgo') to suicide within a year after the films release.

It is amazing to think that this movie would have rested in obscurity, never again seeing the light of day if it hadn't been for the MST folks who brought it back into general circulation by mocking its very existence. Go watch the original. It's cheap and it only takes 69 minutes of your time. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This movie is TERRIFIC!! And the Price?? INCREDIBLE!!!
This is one of those movies you remember from your childhood. It's embedded in your brain, way back in there somewhere! Count Frankenhausen is one of the screen's coolest vampires....and Frau Hildeguard, what a cold-hearted witch!! ... Mood, atmosphere, cool phtographic effects, and a knockout score make this a standout 60's horror film from Mexico. The Count delivers a 5 minute speech on his love for coffee, and turns into one of the absolute COOLEST bats in vampire screen history!!(More personality than any cheesy CGI bat!!) Can you tell I liked this film??????? For seven bucks, it's well worth checking out!!! ... Read more

Description

For the 1st time ever the infamous Japanese horror series"Guinea Pig" will be released in North America. Devils Experiment: A Video Tape and a letter are given to the Tokyo police in a small discreet envelope with no return address or postal mark. The accompanying letter tells of an experiment on human endurance and how much the human bodyand mind can endure before succumbing to death. Android of Notre Dame: A scientist's sister has a dreaded heart disease that is slowly killing her. He must find a way tocure her in any way possible. Animal research can only doso much but, on the other hand, a real human body could work wonders. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Andoird of Notre Dame only...
(I'll get around to Devil's Experiment soon. Promise.)

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Guinea Pig 5: Android of Notre Dame (Kazuhito Kuramoto, 1988)

Man, someone at IMDB has been messing with the numbers of the Guinea Pig flicks. How could Android of Notre Dame (1988) be Guinea Pig 2, when Flower of Flesh and Blood (listed as GP3 at IMDB) was made in 1985? I don't know either. Besides, I've seem the tapes. This really is Guinea Pig 5. Unfortunately, it seems the series went downhill.

The plot of this one concerns a doctor (Toshihiko Hino) whose sister (Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Dina's pretty young thing Mio Takaki) is dying of some unspecified heart disease. The doctor is trying to save her. Why this involves attempting to bring the dead back to life, we have no clue. It does, however, involve high finance, and thus blackmail by a computer hacking geek (Tochiro Taguchi).

There are some amusing moments, and a few that will probably trip the gore scale for most folks, but those who have seen Flower of Flesh and Blood or Mermaid in a Manhole are probably going to be saying to themselves "this is Guinea Pig?" For completists, or those who are uncomfortable with the personalized brutality of the earlier films. ** 1/2

Fun to watch, but not as disturbing as it's reputation says.
I've not seen all of the Guinea Pig movies, but I have these 2. Both of them are ok, but nothing special.

Devil's Experiment - This one's only good if you want to see a fake snuff movie. It's got no plot or story, but it's not supposed to. It's just 3 Japanese dudes torturing a Japanese chick. The nail being pulled off was the only difficult part to watch. Kind of boring, but it was ok.

Android of Notre Dame - A tad better than Devil's Experiment, but only because it has a plot. This is also pretty boring. The gore is ok and it's also the only reason I bought the dvd in the first place. The story is ok, but just watch it for the gore. Easily squeemish beware. But, gorehounds probably won't find anything special. I didn't.

One Big Joke........
I was at a local indie record store when I happened upon this DVD. I had heard that this video was "disturbing, violent" etc so I decided to give it a try. Once I got home my wife and I sat down to watch "Devils Experiment". Almost immediately I was sick to my stomach, not from the gore (or lackthereof), but from the fact that I had actually paid for this movie!!!!!!!!Devils Experiment is about as real looking as pro wrestling, which isn't saying much. Save your money folks, there is much better out there.

P.S. This review doesn't even begin to touch on Guinea Pigs 2nd feature "Android of Notre Dame". As soon as I saw the midget in the suit I turned it off.

Atrocity with a capital A
What I don't understand about these armchair film critics that are trying to rip this film apart is... WHat do they expect? A cool story line, character development and maybe some kung fu? No, no no! The GUinea Pig films have non of this. They are brutal to the extreme. Nasty, vile and borderline atrocities that are for the true gorehounds and something to add to the library of gore.

Want a story? Find Cannibal Holo or Nekromantic. Want gore comedy, get He Never Dies, BrainDead or Bad Taste. If you want to make your friends leave the house or freak em out then buy this. Want to support an indie company taking a chance on releasing these things, then buy this. You want [stuff] like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm St. then wait until the sequel and leave. These films are for the gorehound who has seen everything and are looking for that revolting scene that makes you wonder? Why do you enjoy violence. Cause baby, these are violent to the extreme.

Gee! It's So Not Real!!
How any fan of gore films could like THE DEVIL'S EXPERIMENT is beyond me. It has no story other than a THICK looking japanese woman being unconvincingly tortured. I love gore, but I like it done well. I also like a good story. DEVIL'S EXPERIMENT is so poorly executed. It really could only disturb someone who might come across it entirely by accident and wonder what it is.
It is shot on video and features so many silly jump cuts that you know the woman is not being harmed. Let's face it, anyone who is slapped 100 times would be very red faced after only ten slaps and they would also scream. This woman lets out a few inaudible grunts and her face always has the same tone to it. Hello!! Anyway, there really is just no point to DEVIL'S EXPERIMENT.

There is a gory scene with an eyeball, but it is still obviously faked and just lame. I mean WHO CARES?!! Everything about DEVIL'S EXPERIMENT begs you to turn it off, out of frustration. It is kinda like gore for the sake of gore, which can be fun if done well, but it isn't. PIECES is fun, this isn't FUN on any level. All I did was fast forward once I got the idea.

It is exploitive in a purely lame sense. It is definately BORING, stupid and just idiotic. I really cannot reccomend this to gore fans. If you want decent freaky Japanese Gore pick up ORGAN or EVIL DEAD TRAP. This is just cheap, insulting not only to women but gore fans too, and it is way over-priced considering that it really is just plain AWFUL!! ... Read more